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UniversiTEA: The Experience

Today was the first day of class and there was much to look forward to-new classes, new professors, new classmates. However, like any first days, I was also a bit nervous-not knowing who was in my class and not knowing what to expect. It was also the first day that I have seen many of my friends in the new year. I was a ball of excitement and at the end of my two new classes, I was very excited for my future classes and to seek out what my professors had to offer this year. Up until that point, it was a really good day. And after, well, my day got even better.

I am part of a Christian campus ministry and on Tuesdays, we have weekly meetings where we meet up and have speakers talk about their faith journey (their walk and understanding of God). Today was the first meeting of 2012 and it was amazing listening to student stories about how God had impacted their lives during the holidays. After an hour of sharing, we went for our social hour at McD’s and I wasn’t expecting to stay long at all, but I ended up staying for over an hour just talking to my fellow sisters-in-christ about being in university and having faith in God-who knows what your plans are before even you do.

University can be a very frustrating time: the bureaucracy we have to face, the “I wish I knew” moments, the “what-if” moments, the “WHY” cries and so on. However, it can also be the most fruitful time in our life: we find life’s best friends, we find what we love to do, we find ourselves, and it’s a time where we build meaningful relationships all around-with the people around us, with ourselves, and with God. Realizing university can be more than a frustrating time in life, it really made me see things in a positive light, and with a coming of a new year, just a even more excitement with more things to come. Spending time with God and with my fellow Christians have opened my eyes to the bigger picture in life. Being a Christian doesn’t mean I am against everything outside the Bible, it doesn’t mean I persecute those who are non-believers, and it doesn’t mean I go around forcing people to believe that God exists. It is none of that and is instead, something much more better. Being a Christian means I have a heart to see good in the world, I have a heart to use my God given gifts(or perceived talents) to help people better and further their lives, it means I have a heart to listen to people and their stories and that I have a heart to serve other people and not to serve myself.

Coming to Toronto and having this message presented to me in the very beginning made me skeptical. However, three years after I took the leap of faith to believe in something not physical, it has got to be the best three years of my life. I have had ups and downs, but at the end of the day, knowing that there is something bigger out there, knowing that I do not have to rely on myself to solve all the problems of life, gives me a great sense of freedom to pursue what is important in life. I’m not saying I have become the non-sinning perfect person, but what I am trying to say is that once I realized I didn’t have to do things by myself and on my own it’s all about the adventure of discovering who I am. I am free from all worldly obligations and expectations and I realize that my God given gifts lead me to lead a more impactful and fulfilling eternal life.